Walk of Shame
by elleecee285
Summary: One Shot: Emma has a few too many to drink one night and wakes up in a certain pirate's bed the next morning. She can handle that, and she can even handle sneaking through Storybrooke before anyone sees her, but what she doesn't want to deal with is her parents seeing her mid-walk of shame. (Could probably be rated T, but it's rated M just to be safe)


_Author's Note: I had to get this idea out of my head! I can't focus on The Savior right now because of it, so here it is. This is a one shot, and that is all I ever plan on it being. I hope you enjoy!_

_ Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time._

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The metal of the door knob was colder than usual as I slowly twisted it in my right hand, my left hand placed gently on the door above the handle. As soon as the catch released I began to, as quietly as physically possible, open the front door to the loft.

This wasn't how last night was supposed to have gone. I dropped Henry off with Regina for the night and then decided I needed a drink. That's how I found myself sitting on a bar stool, nursing a drink at the Rabbit Hole.

I knew I should have gotten up and walked out the second I saw him walking towards me. I should have paid and left when I saw the gleam of his hook, because only in this town could that be considered acceptable to wear out. I knew that sitting there, with him, and drinking was a terrible idea. I knew I shouldn't have had more than a drink or two with him. I knew, but I couldn't bring myself to leave.

I didn't mean for last night to happen the way it did, or maybe I did, I wasn't sure anymore. I couldn't remember the last time I had been drunk enough to still feel it in the morning, but now it was time to face the consequences of my night, and I wasn't looking forward to it.

First it was the huge hangover that woke me up, complete with a pounding headache, sensitivity to the just rising sun, and the still slightly swaying world, even when I managed to make it off the boat. Then I had to pry myself from the strong arms I somehow managed to fall asleep in after everything that transpired last night. Then I had to find out just how difficult it is to find my clothes and put them on in the barely lit captain's quarters, on a rocking pirate ship, without waking the sleeping captain, himself.

I could handle the developing hangover and sneaking through town so as not to be seen by anyone. That was the easy part. This was the part that I was dreading most: sneaking into the loft. A quick glance at my phone revealed that it was only six forty five, but I didn't want to wake up either of my parents when I made it in the door.

The loft was dark and quiet as I slid inside and turned back quietly shut the door behind me. My boots were toed off and picked up to make less noise crossing the short distance to the stairs. I even made sure to miss the few creaky boards as I made careful steps on my toes to move through the apartment. I was within three steps of the stairs and so close to being home free that I could taste it.

That was until the kitchen light popped on, illuminating my walk of shame to the whole loft.

"Emma?" My father's voice only caused the headache to worsen as I tried to hide my face. "What are you doing up at this hour? Did you just come in?"

I tried to think of something quickly but the only things going through my head were the truth, and even in my still partially drunken state, unlike last night, I knew that was not the right thing to do.

I was holding my head in my hands to shield my eyes from the light as I racked my brain for any acceptable answer.

"Is everything alright?" He asked me as he wrapped one arm around me.

"I…took a walk." My mouth finally managed to spit out over my stumbling tongue. "I haven't been able to sleep all night, and I thought it might help." The lies were spewing out.

"I'm sorry." He lifted my face with his free hand to look at me better. "You look exhausted, why don't you go upstairs and try to get some rest?" I silently agreed with the request, feeling him kiss the top of my head before letting go of me.

I wasn't sure how this morning could get any worse, but I tried to move as quickly as possible without drawing attention to myself. Just as I managed to get a few steps up the stairs, my mother walked in and halted me in my tracks yet again.

"Good morning, Emma." I could hear the smile in my mother's voice as she walked into the kitchen.

"Mmhmm." I replied while still hiding my face. I knew how bad I looked and I was lucky David just thought it was exhaustion.

"You're not usually up this early." There was a question implied there, and I knew that, but the longer I was standing this close to my mother, the more chance she had of seeing the hangover on my face and of smelling the leather and salt water on me.

"She couldn't sleep last night, so she decided to go for a walk." David explained to Mary Margaret for me. "I told her she should try to get some sleep now, since she looks so tired."

"Good idea." My mother agreed and I was on my way up the stairs. I felt like a teenager again as I moved to get as far away from either of them before any more questions were asked.

As soon as I was safely in my room, I tore off the soiled clothes off of me. I couldn't stand to be in them for a second longer; not with _his_ intoxicating smell from last night all over them. I needed a shower, but that wasn't going to happen right now so I settled for a clean t-shirt and a pair of sweats. I drew the curtains shut and made sure the remnants of last night were hidden away under several layers in the hamper before crawling into my bed.

Just as I shut my eyes and was able to roll on my side and get comfortable, I heard the door open quietly behind me.

"You didn't really think you could get away with that that easily, did you?" My mother spoke with a tone that sounded more like Regina than Snow White.

I heard her footsteps round my bed and stop on the other side. The bed shifted when she sat down and made herself comfortable next to me, but I kept my eyes shut and my breathing even in hopes that she would fall for the ruse. "Nice try, but I know you're not asleep yet, Emma."

I finally admitted defeat and opened my eyes slowly. "Here," Her voice was kinder again as she held out a glass of water and two small red pills in her hands for me. "This should help."

"Thanks," I took the water and aspirin from her. "How'd you know?"

"You were wearing those clothes when you left last night," Mary Margaret pointed out. "And the way you were acting, well, it wasn't because you were exhausted." She laughed a bit. "I've been around long enough to know what both a hangover and a walk of shame look like when I see them. So who is he?"

"Who is who?" I knew better than to play dumb with my mother, but I was still hoping she would let it go.

"Emma…" It amazed me that by just saying my name, she could get so many things across.

"Hook." I whispered, not waiting for her response. "But I didn't mean to. I just had a few too many to drink and he was there…and then woke up in his bed this morning."

I looked at my mother for the first time since she had handed me the aspirin. Her face gave away what she was thinking, but this time she didn't ask. Hook was "a man of honor" as he called it, and we both knew he wouldn't have done anything to me if he wasn't sure it was what I wanted. I may have been heavily drunk, but I still remembered telling him every time he asked me, that it was what I wanted. After all, a drunk mind speaks sober thoughts.

The amount of gratitude I had towards my mother at that moment for not asking the details was immense.

Then my mind turned to my father. "Oh, please tell me David-"

"Calm down," She said softly. "As much as you hate it, your father still thinks of you as his innocent little girl, and I'm not telling him any different. I know the walk of shame is punishment enough." My mother said before getting up and walking back around to the door.

"I don't want to know if you're speaking from experience." I warned her before she decided to tell me about anything I didn't want to hear about.

"Emma," There she went again with my name. "We were cursed-"

I threw my hands up in surrender. "I remember you telling me about Dr. Whale. I don't want to know any more." I shuddered at the thought of that.

"How do you think I knew it was a walk of shame, Emma?" My mother giggled. "I'm surprised your father didn't notice it too, after how many times I had to sneak out after spending nights with him, and we didn't even sleep together most times."

"MOM!" I yelled, regretting it immediately when my head throbbed, as she laughed at me.

"Sleep well, Emma."

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_I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feel free to let me know what you thought by leaving a review! :)_


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